November Yoga Challenge: Week 2

Yoga on one of our Arizona camping trips

I just completed the second week of my November yoga challenge. My goal was to spend time doing yoga every day this month, but as you can read below, I didn’t do so well this week. I did, however, take a major step in pursuing another fitness goal. This yoga challenge is a personal intention I came up with to recommit to my home practice and get in better physical shape. I could think of no better time for this goal. The holidays will bring overindulgence and a busy schedule, but I’m confident I will be successful if I stay motivated.

Here’s how Week 2 went down:Day 1: 6 minutes of meditation to start the day. I joined Orange Theory and went to a one-hour class. I was nervous. Afterward, I did 5 minutes of yoga at home to stretch out.Day 2: 5 minutes of meditation. 20 minutes of yoga, mostly seated poses.Day 3: 6 minutes of meditation, 20 minutes of yoga and a class at OrangeTheory. Some of the poses I did: downward-facing dog into a low lunge, half splits and pigeon (all on both sides, of course); malasana (yogi squat); supta baddha konasana (reclined bound angle pose); and Warriors 1 and 2.Day 4: 8 minutes of meditation. 15 minutes of yoga.Day 5: I started the day off on the wrong foot and never recovered despite meditating for 15 minutes. I didn’t practice yoga.Day 6: I went to an OrangeTheory class and then did 15 minutes of light yoga later that day.Day 7: No meditation. I flew to Phoenix that evening, but I squeezed in 10 minutes of yoga before bed.Yoga Minutes: 85Meditation Minutes: 40Orange Theory Classes: 3Miles Run: 5.3 miles (including OT classes)

Reflections:

I’ve been in a crummy place emotionally. I’ve only found the motivation to do about 20 minutes max of yoga at home per day. I consider myself a self-aware person, but it’s been difficult to pinpoint why I’ve been so down. I’m hoping this week’s visit to Phoenix, even if it’s a work trip, will give me the mental boost I need. Have you tried a fitness challenge recently? I’d love to hear about it! In unrelated news, I’m hoping for a Spiritual Gangster Black Friday sale so I can treat myself to one of these tanks I have my eyes on. They aren’t practical for Chicago winter but they’re perfect for Phoenix weather and yoga classes! That burgundy is calling my name and looking into my soul.